Brave Sir Riku and His Not So Merry Men
by Jediempress
Summary: Simply put, Riku and some friends on a search for the Holy Grail. He looks for the Gail but gets something else instead. Light yaoi. Features Demyx, Sora, Cloud, Zack, Leon, Axel and Reno. Plus a rabbit with sharp, pointy teeth. Happy Easter.


i was

Okay, this is totally silly and random but whatever, I find it hilarious. InuYasha Lover 123 asked me to write a slightly adventurous story about Riku falling in love with some one other than Cloud or Sora. After a very random conversation with Sassy-Aloo, this is what I came up with. I wrote this in about three hours while cooking so I'm certain the mechanics suck.

Obviously, I still don't own the boys but I have a plushie of the Rabbit of Caerbannog!

Happy Easter.

Brave Sir Riku and His Not-So-Merry Men

Riku had no idea how Demyx could walk and play his large sitar at the same time but he was doing a fine job of it. Nearly an hour into their quest, Demyx had decided they needed traveling music and was coming up with songs for each member of the party. Unfortunately, he was annoying the hell out of everyone but Sora who encouraged the dark blond with cries of _oh, do so-and-so next!_

Personally Riku was finding the musician's little ditties rather amusing also but it was for a completely different reason.

"Demyx, I swear if I ever hear you sing about me getting my kneecaps smashed and my eyes gouged out and whatever else was in that long tirade, I will kill you." Cloud muttered darkly. 

Cloud had been the worse of them, complaining verbally and often. The rest of their party had been content with glares and in a few cases, raised hands as if to strangle the former Nobody. Riku had sent sharp looks at these and they would end.

"Oh, come on, Spike." Zack took his lover's hand. "He's just trying to make this boring journey a little more lively."

"We've been attacked by Heartless three times in the past two hours." Leon commented from his position as rear guard. "That's lively enough for me."

"I like his songs!" Sora laughed, throwing his hands behind his head. He glanced at Riku with a grin. "So does Riku."

Riku shrugged a little, sending his best friend a look that clearly read _drop it_. Sora had come to the conclusion a few days ago that the silvered teen was seriously crushing on Demyx. When he told said silvered teen about this, he was immediately brushed off.

Riku did not want to admit that Sora was probably right. He had only recently come to realize himself that his feelings for the water-wielder had become more than friendly. How that had happened, he still was not sure.

"Hey, Ku. Any idea how much further we gotta go through these woods?" Zack asked loudly.

"It shouldn't be too much longer."

Sora dropped his hands. He fished around in one of his large pockets. "Well, why don't we look at the map?"

He produced the object and Demyx put away his sitar to join him in looking over the route yet again. It was the blond who pointed to the highlighted path. "It looks like we've got another half-mile, then we reach some wastelands."

Riku absently reached over to touch a spot on the map. "The cavern should be here."

His fingers brushed Demyx and both quickly jerked their hands away. Sora looked between them and chuckled. At Riku's sharp look, he quieted down but it was obvious he was enjoying Riku and Demyx's awkwardness with each other.

"What exactly are we searching for any way?" Zack angled his head, releasing Cloud's hand and stuffing his own into his pockets. "Some cup?"

"The Holy Grail." Riku explained. "We have to make sure Maleficent doesn't find it first because with it she can bring back herself and anyone else she wants from the dead."

"Why can't she just-"

"Heartless!" Sora interrupted, summoning his keyblade and launching himself into the nearest one that had suddenly materialized. Riku did likewise, the two keybearers flanking Demyx. 

Demyx stuck close to Riku's side as he cut a path forward. It had become apparent after the first attack that the former Nobody was unable to accurately fight in the confines of the forest. Riku and Sora took point as Zack and Cloud covered the sides and Leon picked off the strays as the group pushed through the swarm.

The edge of the woods was visible by the time the Heartless were all defeated. Riku cast his potion spell over everyone as weapons were sheathed and they broke through from the trees. He caught Demyx sullen look and frowned.

Quietly, he asked, "What's wrong?"

The musician shrugged. "I just feel really useless. I haven't been able to help at all and I feel like a burden having to have you guard me."

Riku bit his lip in a rather shy manner. "I'm glad you came along."

Sea-green eyes glanced over with a faint hope. "Really?"

"Yeah."

An odd moment passed between them and neither was entirely sure what would have happened next if it had not been broken by a loud explosion and a flash of flame from over one of the rocky hills before them. There was wild laughter and some loud swearing that followed it. 

"What the hell was that?" Cloud narrowed his eyes.

"Whatever it was, the person who did sounds happy about it." Sora grinned. He began running ahead. "Let's go check it out!"

"Sora!" Leon shouted softly before throwing up his hands. "Why am I bothering?"

Zack shrugged and took off after the spiky-haired teenager. This left Cloud with Leon behind Riku and Demyx. The pale blond sighed and rhetorically asked. "Why did I get back together with him?"

The remaining four hurried after the two runners. Sora and Zack had disappeared over the ridge and when the four reached the lip, they stopped. This was unexpected.

"What are Reno and Axel doing out here?" Demyx asked for everyone. 

At the others shaking heads, the musician shrugged and hollered out, "Yo, Ax! What's going on?" 

The spiky redhead turned away from Sora and laughed. "Hey, Dem! Come on down. Reno and I are just blowin' shit up."

Demyx, Riku, Cloud, and Leon slid down the slope and joined the others. Reno was setting up another small charge with Zack and after they both stood, the Turk ordered, "Light it up, yo," as he and Zack darted away.

Axel threw out his hand and the explosive detonated in a high pillar of flame. 

"Oh, that one was cool." Zack folded his arms. "How come I've never been invited out here?"

Reno shrugged. "Notice Rude ain't fuckin' here either. This is kinda me and Axel's thing."

"What are all of you doing out here?" questioned Axel while giving Demyx one of those manly half-hugs. He caught Riku's expression at it and smirked at the teen. "What's with you and blond's?"

The silvered teen flushed for a moment. Sora snickered, as did Zack who figured out right away what Axel meant by that. The others did not seem to care.

"We're on a quest to find the Holy Grail." Demyx answered, giving Riku a quick look.

The older of the teens pulled himself back together. "Yeah. It's supposed to be in a cavern named Caerbannog."

Both redheads stared at him a moment. Reno snorted and crouched down to route through his bag. "You don't want to go there, yo. It's guarded by the fiercest fuckin' monster I've seen since Sephiroth."

"Yeah, that beastie's brutal." Axel agreed. "No one has ever gotten past it. There's like bones and body parts all around it."

"The book didn't say anything about a monster." Riku said stubbornly. "How the heck do you know what's there?"

"Cause we've been there, duh." Axel rolled his eyes. "We've gotten pretty familiar with the area."

"Can you take us?" Sora asked hopefully. "It's really important that we find this thing."

Axel looked to Reno. At the Turk's disinterested shrug, the fire-wielder turned and waved. "Yeah, come on. I'll be back in about twenty, Reno."

The group followed the former Nobody across several rises in the rocky terrain. Axel kept up three steady conversations with Demyx, Sora and Zack simultaneously. Riku, Cloud and Leon simply listened on in amazement.

They reached a high ledge and the conversation stopped. Axel motioned with his chin at the large cavern opening below. "Well, that's the place."

"I don't see any monsters." Leon noted dryly.

"Oh, he's there," laughed Axel. There was an uneasy quality to it and his green eyes scanned the area. Suddenly he pointed. "There he is."

They all looked over in the direction he indicated. From in between two boulders, a white rabbit hopped out. It was small and fluffy and cute. There was absolutely nothing dangerous looking about it at all.

"That's the monster guarding the Grail?" Zack laughed in disbelief. "It's a rabbit."

"With really sharp, pointy teeth."

"I don't see anything like that." Demyx observed, studying the critter.

Axel smirked. "Oh, yeah? I dare one of you go down there then."

"Fine," Zack skittered down to the clearing and casually walked up to the small animal. He bent down to pick it up and suddenly cried out. The rabbit had latched onto his arm and refused to let go.

He shook it around and hit it a few times before the creature released him and scampered a few feet away. Zack held onto his am and quickly scrambled back up to the others. A large chunk of his skin had been completely torn away.

"What the hell?" Cloud was immediately tending to the wound as the others stared in stunned silence.

Axel merely chuckled. "Told you."

"That had to be a fluke," Sora frowned. He looked at the rabbit sitting to the side, nibbling on a tuff of grass with blood around its mouth. "Zack scared it or something."

"Normal rabbits do not have teeth capable of ripping out chunks of skin, Sora." Riku reluctantly commented.

"But Zack was shaking it around!" The brunet protested. "I bet I can get past him."

Sora was already half-way down by the time always could tell him not to go. He slowly approached the entrance, carefully watching the rabbit as he stepped past it. He was even with it before his goal and relaxed a bit. "See? He isn't-"

He screamed as the animal launched itself at his leg. Leon cursed and jumped down to help Sora. At his arrival, the rabbit released Sora and leapt for Leon's neck.

"Fuck! That thing's gonna kill him!" Zack shouted. He, Cloud and Riku moved to assist but Demyx stopped them.

"Demyx, there isn't-"

The blond, former Nobody had summoned his sitar and was frantically playing. Below, a dozen water clones appeared and twirled around Leon and Sora. At first, this had no effect on the situation.

Abruptly, the rabbit let go of Leon and tried to attack one of the clones. It passed through, getting soaked and hitting the ground awkwardly. It then tried another and another. 

"Go get Leon and Sora!" Demyx ordered, concentrating heavily on what was happening with the clones and the rabbit.

Axel and Riku scrambled down to retrieve the wounded duo, carefully watching the rabbit's vain attempts to kill the bodies of water threatening it. Once everyone was out of danger, Demyx ceased playing and the clones disappeared. The rabbit shook out its fur and returned to its hole.

Cloud and Zack set to work healing Leon as Sora took care of his own injury. No one said a word as they recovered. Axel wisely did not make any jokes or wise-cracks, though he clearly wanted to. He merely made sure everyone would be alright and left.

Riku likewise checked everyone over and once it was clear Cloud had the situation well at hand, he pulled Demyx off to the side. The pair moved to the other side of one of the large rocks along the edge. Both were quiet for a moment.

"That.. was really brilliant, Dem." Riku finally spoke, not looking directly at Demyx.

"I wasn't sure it would work but I had to do something." Demyx toed at a few stray stones. "I'm tired of people thinking I can't hold my own or that I always just runaway from a fight."

"I never thought that, neither does Sora," Riku pointed out. "Do you know how close you came to kicking his ass back in the day?"

"Well you guys know but the others don't and…" Demyx trailed off.

"And what?"

"Well," Demyx fidgeted before rushing out. "I don't want anyone to think that I'm a burden to you. I mean, you look out for me and defend me and have been going out of your way to help me though this whole being human thing. I want to feel worthy of all that."

Riku stared at him for some time. He had no idea that Demyx was feeling this way. Without really thinking about it, he took a step closer and brought his hand to the dark blond's pale cheek. "Dem, you're… worth all that and more."

Demyx worried his lower lip. "You mean that?"

"Absolutely." Riku knew he was going out on a limb here but he did not care at this point. "You're very important to me."

There was a brief, endless moment between them and a million thoughts flitted through Riku's mind. Something was supposed to happen now but he was not sure what. This was clearly the pause before something important.

It was Demyx who took another step closer and Demyx who tilted his face toward him. He felt himself tensing up in expectation, waiting. When Demyx hesitated, Riku took action.

He pressed his lips to Demyx's and it was not even a second before the dark blond responded, his own mouth moving against Riku's. It was a wonderful and sweet experience and a tension that Riku had not even been aware of drained from him. He had no idea how long it was before they shyly broke apart.

"Uh…" Demyx murmured as they brought their foreheads together. Riku dropped his hand and used it to take the musician's. 

"Yeah."

"Hey, guys?" Sora's voice spoke up uncertainly. Riku and Demyx both turned to look at him and the teen shifted his weight uncomfortably, though there was a happy look to his eyes. "Sorry about interrupting whatever but Axel and Reno are offering us a ride back to town."

"We should probably take them up on that." Riku decided, glancing at Demyx who nodded agreement.

With hands still joined, they began waking toward Sora. Demyx stopped short and frowned. "What about the Grail?"

Riku snorted. "Forget it. If Maleficent is crazy enough to attempt getting past that demon rabbit, she can have the damn thing."


End file.
